uch with their 3-month-old infants as fathers in single-earner families (in Grych & Clark, 1999, p. 893). However, another study conducted by Pederson et al. (1987) produced a contradictory result. They found that fathers who spent more time with their infants during the first year were more versatile in their interactions with their children. In addition, the children also exhibited greater responsiveness and desire to explore (in Grych & Clark, 1999, p. 893).
Other researchers were interested in extending the findings on mother-infant bonding. In those studies, it was found that mothers who had substantial body contact with their infants immediately after their deliveries interacted better with their infants in the early months. According to Parke et al. (1972 & 1976), no significant difference could be seen in the interaction of fathers and mothers in their interaction with their infants at 6 and 48 hours after the delivery (in Rodholm, 1981, p. 80). However, Greenberg and Morris (1974) found that those fathers who were present at birth interacted with their babies with greater ease than the fathers who were absent (in Rodholm, 1981, p. 80).
Contributing further to the research on the father's early bonding with the infants are the studies that explore in greater detail the quality of the interaction. Thus far, the research has been limited to the interaction between mother and newborn (de Chauteau and Wiberg in Pannabecker, Emde, & Austin, 1982, p. 8).
Research has also shown that babies can form attachments to both mothers and fathers at the same time. For example, a study showed that infants who were 12 months or older cried when either the mother or the father left the room, displaying no preference for either parent (Rosenblith, 1992, p. 468). Yogman and his fellow researchers even found that babies as young as 2 months old responded more positively to their fathers than strangers (in Rosenblith, 1982, p. 4...